BMW Z4 M Launch & M Series rebrand
THE ULTIMATE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE — A few months after landing the BMW account, the first M Series assignment rolled in: a print campaign for the launch of the Z4 M Coupe and Roadster. We had already established the new photography style of clean studio shots on a white seamless with slight shadows under the vehicles and a unique liquid lighting technique that gave the BMWs the feeling of motion while remaining static. I immediately did a quick image comp of this beast of a machine on white. My partner and I looked at each other and said, “Nope.” We needed something more aggressive, something with teeth that would separate the brand pinnacle that is M — and it had to fit into our recently created brand standards. After a few fish tacos, we said, “Hell, let’s put it on a black background with reflections underneath — like it’s patiently waiting for you in the darkness of an ominous garage with sleek glass floors.” So we did. Both ad critics and car enthusiasts applauded the new look and campaign with props from Graphis, Road & Track, and my BMW mechanic, who still has a framed “Hierarchy of Needs” poster hanging in the waiting room.